When you get new data in, your tables should automatically be up to date. When you spot a transcription error, you should be able to fix it and re-run you analysis without breaking a sweat. It should be easy to subset and share data from a large project, and easy to remake a figure with that filtered data. After 15 years of collecting, sorting, cleaning, storing, and sharing data we've identified four steps that are necessary to go from a good question to a great product. Our four steps are our approach to research, and thinking of data this way makes some frustrating tasks surprisingly easy.

Plan &Prepare

Developing data forms before you start collecting helps you ensure you are getting all the information you'll need. Planning your files also means you can go from collection to analysis anytime, not after you reformat and combine a dozen files.

Custom forms for field data collection

Custom entry forms/spreadsheets with built in validation tools

Assistance laying out data files for efficient analysis

Automated data summaries and reports for quality control and progress reports

Collect& Clean

Whether you get all the data collected for your project in a single day, or expect continuous updates for five years there are ways to simplify your life. This step is all about ensuring all of you data get combined and getting the outliers removed.